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Volusia sheriff's lieutenant arrested on grand theft charges

Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 8:04 p.m.

A Volusia County sheriff's lieutenant was arrested Wednesday after police say he used money from his Port Orange homeowners' association to renovate his own town house, as well as another residence he owns elsewhere.

Brian Nardiello, 39, was charged with grand theft and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, a Port Orange arrest report shows. He was released on his own recognizance Wednesday afternoon.

Port Orange investigators said the theft attributed to Nardiello was in the form of fraudulent receipts he presented to the members of the Trailwood Townhomes Homeowners Association. Nardiello claimed he spent his own money on repairs and renovations to individual units at the subdivision on Willow Trail Run, when instead the money was used for his own properties, an arrest report shows.

He could not be reached Wednesday.

The renovations included 10 yards of concrete for $919 for his town house, and $7,570 for roofing materials for his other house, the arrest report shows.

In all, Port Orange investigators believe Nardiello was reimbursed $25,429, the arrest report shows. But they can only prove he was paid $8,489 because the homeowners association's records were stolen in January 2012, and only certain receipts and copies of checks were available. The records were kept in a storage room and only Nardiello and two other board members had a key, investigators said. According to the arrest report, renovations were made to Nardiello's properties in 2008.

The theft issue came to light last year when members of the homeowners association were reviewing a financial report prepared for them by an accountant. The report showed that in 2011, Nardiello had written a check to the homeowners association for $11,000, calling the payment a “gift,” the arrest report shows.

When members of the board questioned Nardiello about the donation, as well as his handling of the homeowners association's financial affairs, Nardiello became defensive and told the accountant to remove the reference to his gift from the annual report, the arrest report shows.

At that point, two members of the homeowners association called the Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's internal affairs unit, in turn, called Port Orange police.

Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said Nardiello, who joined the Sheriff's Office in 2002 and was working in Court Services, has been suspended with pay. His annual salary is $50,402, Davidson said.

Sheriff's records also show Nardiello has had a handful of disciplinary issues within the agency that included counseling and a letter of reprimand for what Nardiello's superiors called “bad judgment” on his part.

Those lapses in judgment included Nardiello's arrest of the husband of a grand juror in 2006, holding a briefing session in 2009 that took deputies off the street and left areas of the county unpatrolled for an hour, and attending a training session in Jacksonville with two subordinates in 2012 without authorization from his supervisor.

<p>A Volusia County sheriff's lieutenant was arrested Wednesday after police say he used money from his Port Orange homeowners' association to renovate his own town house, as well as another residence he owns elsewhere. </p><p>Brian Nardiello, 39, was charged with grand theft and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, a Port Orange arrest report shows. He was released on his own recognizance Wednesday afternoon. </p><p> Port Orange investigators said the theft attributed to Nardiello was in the form of fraudulent receipts he presented to the members of the Trailwood Townhomes Homeowners Association. Nardiello claimed he spent his own money on repairs and renovations to individual units at the subdivision on Willow Trail Run, when instead the money was used for his own properties, an arrest report shows. </p><p> He could not be reached Wednesday. </p><p> The renovations included 10 yards of concrete for $919 for his town house, and $7,570 for roofing materials for his other house, the arrest report shows. </p><p> In all, Port Orange investigators believe Nardiello was reimbursed $25,429, the arrest report shows. But they can only prove he was paid $8,489 because the homeowners association's records were stolen in January 2012, and only certain receipts and copies of checks were available. The records were kept in a storage room and only Nardiello and two other board members had a key, investigators said. According to the arrest report, renovations were made to Nardiello's properties in 2008. </p><p> The theft issue came to light last year when members of the homeowners association were reviewing a financial report prepared for them by an accountant. The report showed that in 2011, Nardiello had written a check to the homeowners association for $11,000, calling the payment a “gift,” the arrest report shows. </p><p> When members of the board questioned Nardiello about the donation, as well as his handling of the homeowners association's financial affairs, Nardiello became defensive and told the accountant to remove the reference to his gift from the annual report, the arrest report shows. </p><p> At that point, two members of the homeowners association called the Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's internal affairs unit, in turn, called Port Orange police. </p><p> Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said Nardiello, who joined the Sheriff's Office in 2002 and was working in Court Services, has been suspended with pay. His annual salary is $50,402, Davidson said. </p><p> Sheriff's records also show Nardiello has had a handful of disciplinary issues within the agency that included counseling and a letter of reprimand for what Nardiello's superiors called “bad judgment” on his part. </p><p> Those lapses in judgment included Nardiello's arrest of the husband of a grand juror in 2006, holding a briefing session in 2009 that took deputies off the street and left areas of the county unpatrolled for an hour, and attending a training session in Jacksonville with two subordinates in 2012 without authorization from his supervisor.</p>